Move to settle 3,191 cases of human trafficking

Md Solamain Salman
15th November, 2018 10:27:04

The Ministry of Home Affairs has requested the Ministry of Law for taking an initiative to dispose of pending cases of human trafficking.

The request was made at an inter-ministerial meeting held at Bangladesh Secretariat recently with home affairs (public safety division) secretary Mostafa Kamal Uddin in the chair.

The meeting decided to dispose of 3,191 cases pending with different courts across the country for long.

Out of the cases, the meeting also decided to dispose of 166 cases, filed about 10 years ago, on priority basis, according to minutes of the meeting.

The public safety division secretary has asked the authorities concerned for disposal of the case within the shortest possible time.

A directive has been given to the Ministry of Law for communicating with the Ministry of Public Administration and the Ministry of Finance for setting up of new tribunals in eight divisional cities to deal with the cases of human trafficking.

A decision was taken to send letters to the Ministry of Information to carry on the anti-human trafficking campaign through Bangladesh Television (BTV), Bangladesh Betar and private TV channels.

Apart from human trafficking, directives will be given to the Ministry of Information to continue campaigns against other crimes related to drug, militancy, money-laundering, and arms trading.

Letters will also be sent to the ministry for holding discussions with different TV channels on prevention of human trafficking with the participation of government officials and members of civil society.

As per decision, the Ministry of Home Affairs will again request the Post and Telecommunication Division for launching massive anti-human trafficking campaigns by sending three awareness SMS to all mobile numbers.

A decision was also taken for requesting the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs for imparting training to women and children who returned from abroad after being trafficked with a view to rehabilitating them in society.

The meeting also directed for communication with the public safety division to take necessary steps for printing “The Prevention and Suppression of Human Trafficking Rules-2017’ quickly.

It also directed for inclusion of representatives from police and NGOs with the agencies concerned for prevention of human trafficking.

It also decided for completion of work of finalising the draft of ‘Bangladesh Country Report-2017’ on human trafficking within the shortest possible time.

Besides, the home ministry requested the local government division (safety service division) to strengthen its monitoring system as people belonging to Rohingya community will not get citizenship.

“If any chairman issues fake citizenship and birth certificate to any person belonging to Rohingya community then necessary measures will be taken to file cases against the chairman,” according to minutes of the meeting.

The matter of distribution of money by NGOs in Cox’s Bazar was also discussed at the meeting that directed the ministry and office concerned for submitting reports on the activities of relief distribution by NGOs in the area in recent past.

The meeting also decided for taking initiatives for making lists of blacklisted foreigners and amendment of existing laws regarding foreign citizens by the safety service division to send back illegal foreigners to their countries.